For those of you who aren't familiar with Heather Crosby, her awesomeness and her awesome cooking over at Yum Universe, you're in for a treat over the next couple of weeks. Not only am I interviewing Heather for the podcast this afternoon, but she's kindly provided me with a recipe from her brand new cook book, to share with you guys. And it's ice-cream. And summer's coming. And it ticks a whole lot of endodiet boxes. So, yeah, it's a good day(well, endo is kicking in HARD right now, so other than that).

I tend to avoid alcohol, as it's known to aggravate endometriosis symptoms and put a strain on our liver, which we need on our side to help eliminate excess oestrogen, so I'm going to cut out the bourbon when I make this. I'm reducing my sugar intake as well, so I might also ease up on some of the maple syrup too and make sure I get a low sugar high cacao chocolate, or try cacao nibs instead.

The YumUniverse Pantry to Plate Cookbook

Recipe sacrilege? Not quite. Heather is all about supporting people to get more good stuff in their diet, in whatever way works for them and she knows that most people aren't following a cookbook every night. Instead, Heather's new cookbook is all about playing about with the food you love and have at home, adapting her recipes as we see fit. For me personally, I love this approach, mainly because due to my various sensitivities (and because I hate mushrooms), I find myself changing recipes all the time. I also think that if you're starting out with the endodiet diet basics, of cutting out gluten, dairy, red meat, refined sugar, etc, then this is an accessible place to start - you don't have to stick to rigid rules and measurements or try out weird foods you've never heard of.

So, with approval from the woman herself, go ahead, get adapting, get creative and make this your dream endometriosis tailored ice-cream.

Bourbon Salted Chocolate-Pecan Cluster Nice Cream

Serves 4+

Ingredients

½ cup (50 g) raw pecan halves

1 tablespoon plus ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Two pinches cayenne pepper

Two pinches ground cardamom (optional)

1 vanilla bean pod

3 cups (720 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon arrowroot starch/flour

One 3-ounce (85 g) dark chocolate bar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the pecans, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup ¼ teaspoon of the salt, cinnamon, cayenne, and cardamom until the pecans are coated. Scatter on the baking sheet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from the baking sheet and cool in the fridge.

Press the vanilla bean pod so it lies flat on a cutting board. Carefully slice down its entire length with a sharp knife and open. Use the back of your knife to scrape out the caviar-like seeds and toss into a large pot. Heat the pot to medium-high and whisk together the coconut milk, the remaining 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) maple syrup, oil, bourbon, arrowroot, and ¼ teaspoon salt until velvety smooth and starting to simmer. Remove from the heat and chill for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, until thoroughly cool.

Melt the chocolate bar over a double boiler and toss the pecans in the chocolate until coated. Cool in the fridge; chop into bite-sized pieces.

Process the chilled milk mixture in an ice cream maker until firm but stirrable. Transfer to a freezable container and fold in the pecan clusters until evenly distributed but maintain swirls and chunks. Freeze for 1 to 3 hours, until firm. Thaw to scoopable consistency and serve.